Barlata

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Sitting at the beautiful slab of wood that is the bar with a friend, drinking sangria and nibbling swarthy morcilla sausage, you recognize the advantage of having an entire meal on plates the size of saucers. The small dishes are easily bartered for samples from the plates of the new friends you will inevitably make. The knockout: orbs of braised octopus smothered in caramelized onions (note the clever wallpaper: giant sepia octopus tentacles snaking through crowds of people). Move on to a small plate of the seafood-and-chicken Paella Barlata, the saffron-soaked bomba rice grains distinct but cooked just through. Light and fluffy croquetas with bits of ham are substantial enough to help mitigate the second glass of sangria you are likely now having, but wrap up with the jamón serrano on toast rubbed with tomatoes just in case. There are lots of places serving up small plates in town, but this is the only one that transports you to Spain.